Small, consistent practice sessions that fit into real life — and actually work
When I connect with a new patient who has Parkinson’s, one of my first questions is: “Are you currently enrolled in Physical Therapy?”
If the answer is yes, I know I need to tread carefully. Their PT is already assigning home exercises. If I pile on speech therapy homework at the same time, something usually gives — and it’s often the home practice that falls away entirely. Overwhelm is real, and it gets in the way of progress.
At the same time, early intervention matters. Waiting too long to start speech therapy can mean losing ground that’s hard to regain.
So how do we begin treatment without adding to an already full plate? Before offering a more standardized behavioral intervention, and while waiting for the patient to complete their PT, I might start them on some speech snacks.
Introducing: Speech Snacks
Not long ago, I came across the concept of Exercise Snacks — a framework popularized by physiotherapist Will Harlow. The idea is borrowed from nutrition: just as small, frequent meals can be better for your body than one large one, short and frequent bouts of exercise can be more effective (and sustainable) than a single long session.
Applied to speech therapy, a Speech Snack means completing short episodes of speech or swallowing practice throughout the day — two to three minutes at a time, a few times a day, targeting one specific goal.
Research supports the idea that short, frequent practice can actually improve adherence and lead to better outcomes over time. And for patients who are already stretched thin, this approach can be the difference between doing something and doing nothing.
The Three-Step Framework
Here is the simple structure I adapted from Will Harlow’s exercise snack model, applied specifically to speech and swallowing.
Step 1: Pick One Thing to Improve
Not everything. One thing. This is the most important step.
Ask yourself: what symptom, if it improved, would make the biggest difference in your speech and/or swallowing right now? Here are some common starting points:
- Vocal Loudness: Focus on vocal strengthening with core vocal function exercises performed at a high level of effort. Use a Hi-VOLT light for targeted feedback. Aim for 5 sets, 3 times per day.
- Swallowing: If you’ve had an instrumental swallowing assessment, you’ve likely been given exercises. Choose one, do it 3 times per day with the recommended repetitions, and rotate if more than one was prescribed.
- Rate Control: Write down 10 phrases you use every day. Practice saying them loudly, slowly, and clearly — even while walking around your home to combine speech with movement.
- Cognition and Word Retrieval: Try language-based activities like naming all the vegetables you can think of in one minute, working through the alphabet, or using timed word games online or on paper.
Pick the area that matters most to you right now. You can always revisit others later.
Step 2: Choose Three Exercises That Target It
Not ten. Three.
Picking more than one keeps things interesting and prevents boredom. Staying at three prevents overwhelm. Rotate through them day by day so your brain and body get variety without you having to think too hard about what’s next.
For example, if vocal loudness is your focus, you might rotate between sustained “ah” sounds, vocal glides, and reading a sentence aloud with a loudness target. Using a Hi-VOLT light gives you real-time feedback so you can actually hear and see whether you’re hitting your goal.
Step 3: Do One Set, Three Times a Day, for Four Weeks
Morning, midday, and evening work well — but the timing is flexible. What matters is that you do it consistently.
Each session doesn’t need to be long. Three to five minutes is enough. The goal is consistency, not duration.
After four weeks, check in honestly with yourself:
- Is that symptom any better?
- Are you speaking louder, slower, or more clearly?
- Are people asking you to repeat yourself less often?
If yes — keep going, or choose a new target and repeat the process. If you’re not seeing change, that’s useful information too: it might be time to check in with your therapist and adjust the plan.
Why This May Work
The beauty of the Speech Snack approach is that it removes the biggest barrier to home practice: the feeling that you have to do everything perfectly, all at once, every day.
You don’t. You just have to do something — consistently, over time, with intention.
Small doses of the right practice, repeated regularly, can lead to meaningful gains. And unlike a daunting 30-minute exercise list, a two-minute speech snack is something almost anyone can fit into their day.
The Framework at a Glance
- Pick one symptom to target
- Choose three exercises that address it
- Practice once a session, three times a day, for six weeks
- Review your progress and adjust as needed
That’s it. Pick, rotate, repeat, review. If you’re unsure which symptom to focus on or which exercises to choose, your speech-language pathologist can help you build a personalized snack plan that fits your life.
Small steps, taken consistently, add up to real progress.
Of course, this does not take the place of one:one speech therapy, but it may help improve an individual’s perception about their speech and voice use, and after all, a change in perception leads to a change in behavior.
If you have not yet been evaluated by a Speech-Language Pathologist, please request a referral from your neurologist or primary care physician. Just like exercise for your body, the more deconditoned you become, the harder to make gains.
(If you’d like to know more about Will Harlow, Physiotherapist, you can visit his website and sign up for his weekly exercise tips at: https://www.willharlow.com/)
Voice Aerobics Travel (Snack) Pack:Fun voice practice wherever you go this summer
Traveling this summer? So many of my patients are heading out of hot Florida in search of cooler weather, but travel and vacation can sometimes be an opportunity to stop speech practice and lose some of the gains you made in prior therapy. So, why not take your practice with you?
Voice Aerobics® Travel Pack bundles some of the favorite Voice Aerobics programs on one small USB stick, and contains the Breathwork video, Songbirds audio CD and Hi-VOLT 4 PD audio CD guided practice. All for ONLY $30. But, if you want to ramp up your practice, add the Hi-VOLT 4 PD voice-on-light bracelet, a feedback tool that helps you practice at a high level of effort providing voice strengthening.
Since 1999 with the creation of the Voice Aerobics, my goal has always been to provide individuals with Parkinson’s related speech and voice changes guided practice tools that could be used before, during, or after therapy. I designed the programs to be FUN, PORTABLE and AFFORDABLE.
Start practicing today. Order now: https://voiceaerobicsdvd.com/product/voice-aerobics-3-in-1-travel-pack/
My Mission: To enlist individuals in their treatment, and help them express their personality & spirit through voice. To educate and empower. Mary Spremulli, MA, CCC-SLP * FiTOUR® Group Exercise Instructor * Certified End of Life Specialist (CEOLS) * Voice Aerobics® A Whole Body Approach to Voice Practice